1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for telephone communication and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for providing an alarm in response to vibration of a telephone pager.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A telephone pager currently utilizes one of two modes of signalling a subscriber who has an incoming telephone call. In a first mode, an audible sound is emitted by the pager in response to a signal representation of the subscriber's telephone number being received. The sound is at a level selected to cause a minimum of interference with other activity in the vicinity of the pager. When the pager is carried by the subscriber in a theater, for example, the selected level would only disturb people in the vicinity of the pager.
In a second mode, the pager vibrates in response to the signal representation of the subscriber's telephone number being received. When the pager is carried in the theater, only the subscriber is aware of the vibration.
When the subscriber is asleep, for example, he may not be in close proximity to the pager. Therefore, neither the audible sound nor the vibration are likely to make the subscriber aware of the incoming telephone call. Hence, the subscriber does not respond to either the audible sound or the vibration. It should be understood that when the subscriber is either a doctor, a volunteer fireman or a person engaged in volunteer emergency work and does not respond, the result could be a loss of life. Heretofore, there has not been a suitably economical and reliable device for providing an enhanced alarm in response to the signal representation of the subscriber's telephone number being received.